OVERVIEW Hepatitis C, or HCV, is an infection of the liver that's caused due to the hepatitis C virus. According to WebMD, approximately 2.4 million people in the United States have this liver disease, but not all of them may experience symptoms. There are several stages to HCV infections: Incubation

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OVERVIEW Hepatitis B is an inflammatory liver disease that is caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus or HBV. It is one of the leading causes of liver cancer around the world, which, fortunately, can be prevented by vaccination. For most people with hepatitis B, do not experience symptoms even

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OVERVIEW Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Your pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach that's responsible for: making enzymes that help the process of digestion in the small intestine releasing two hormones, insulin, and glucagon, that are necessary for the regulation of blood sugar

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OVERVIEW Cirrhosis is a chronic condition that results in the scarring of your liver. A life-threatening condition, cirrhosis replaces healthy liver cells with scar tissue, reducing its ability to properly work and do its job of: filtering toxins from the blood making digestive enzymes storing sugars

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OVERVIEW Clostridium difficile is a bacteria that can cause inflammation and the formation of ulcers in your large intestine, a condition that's medically known as ulcerative colitis. It may also be referred to as C. diff or C. difficile What are the Causes of Clostridium Difficile Infection? C. difficile

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OVERVIEW Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the United States. More than 150,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer, and more than 50,000 die from it. That's why it's important to learn about colon cancer - its symptoms, risk factors, and how to reduce your chances of developing

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OVERVIEW Colon polyps are growths on the surface of the large intestine (colon and rectum) that can be benign (non-cancerous) or cancerous. The most common type is an adenoma, a benign growth that has the potential to become cancerous in the future. Another common type of polyp is hyperplastic polyp,

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OVERVIEW Routine screening is an essential health maintenance tool that can help detect disease at an early stage when it is most treatable. Colonoscopy is a screening test that helps find polyps in the colon and rectum before they turn into cancer. Polyps are growths on the lining of the colon or rectum

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OVERVIEW About 16 of 100 adults in the US will experience a high frequency of constipation each year. Adults over 60 are 33.5% more likely to experience this condition. Constipation is not actually well-defined medically, and there are various definitions of this condition that might be used to describe

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OVERVIEW You may be familiar with different diagnostic procedures like X-rays or MRIs, but CT scans are slightly different. If you've ever heard of a CT scan, you know how important it can be in diagnosing illness and injury. But what exactly is a CT scan, and how does it work? In this article, we'll

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OVERVIEW About 33,000 people are diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease each year. Crohn’s disease involves inflammation that can occur in any part of the digestive tract, most commonly in the small intestine and colon. This disease can also be associated with life-threatening complications so it is important

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OVERVIEW As human beings, we’ve all had our fair share of experiencing unpleasant episodes of vomiting, and one thing that’s for sure is that we don’t ever want it to happen again. For people suffering from cyclic vomiting syndrome, frequent vomiting is an all too often occurrence that can wreak

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What is Diarrhea? Diarrhea is a condition that is characterized by loose, watery stools. Diarrhea typically lasts for a few days and can resolve on its own. However, if you are experiencing persistent diarrhea or bloody stool, it is important to seek medical attention. Diarrhea can be uncomfortable and

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Gas and bloating can be very common. In some cases, they can interfere with daily activities. Belching is often accompanied by bloating, pain, or swelling of the abdomen, which can be uncomfortable. Even though it is uncomfortable, it is not always tied to a serious underlying health condition. What

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Many of us have experienced acid reflux, a feeling of food moving back into the esophagus. A condition known as GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease can be diagnosed when this is more frequently experienced. With the help of an adjusted diet and medications guided by a physician, it can be successfully

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What is GERD? GERD is a digestive disorder that can cause heartburn, regurgitation, or acid indigestion. This disorder is caused by relaxation of the muscle at the end of the esophagus (food pipe) - the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which allows the stomach’s contents to come back up into the

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Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a bacterium in our stomach. It is the most common chronic bacterial infection in the world. Many people do not have symptoms or notice the infection. The bacteria can become present in your system after direct contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, vomit, feces,

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Hemochromatosis, also known as iron overload, is when the body absorbs or builds up too much iron for it to process. Much of the iron that the body contains and absorbs is in the red blood cells. However, when it absorbs too much, the extra iron gets transferred to the surrounding organs, namely the

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Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, occur when the veins in your anus and rectum swell up and cause a variety of symptoms, including bleeding or discomfort in varying degrees of severity. Hemorrhoids are common, and symptomatic hemorrhoids occur in at least 5 % of patients. They occur more commonly over

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This type of hernia happens when the top of your stomach moves into your chest area. More specifically, hiatal hernias occur when part of the stomach pushes through the hiatus (opening) in your diaphragm, which is a muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. What is a hiatal hernia? Hiatal hernias

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HIDA scan stands for hepatic iminodiacetic acid scan (also known as cholescintigraphy) and is an imaging scan used to detect problems with several of your internal organs. If you have intense stomach pain, there’s a chance that you could use a HIDA scan. This article will detail what a HIDA scan is,

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Infliximab is a medication used to treat various diseases of the digestive tract, skin, and joints. Infliximab goes by several different brand names, including Remicade, Renflexis, Avsola, and Inflectra. It's an intravenous medication, meaning that it gets injected into your vein via an IV bag and needle.

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OVERVIEW If you are suffering from a condition called Gastroparesis, this means that your stomach does not empty as fast as it should. Another medical terminology for this is delayed gastric emptying. The symptoms of Gastroparesis are feeling sick and vomiting. The common symptoms of this condition include

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OVERVIEW Gastric emptying time is the rate at which the stomach empties after food consumption. The rate at which the stomach empties is based on many factors. Meal-related factors include meal volume, meal temperature, fat content, acid content, carbohydrate content, protein content, and dietary fiber.

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